Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NCAA Tournament Elite 8 will get underway on Saturday, which means the first couple of Final Four berths are about to be handed out. It’s a special occasion — so we might as well go for a big payday, right? That’s right, we’re back with another mega parlay, Elite 8 edition. Make sure to also check out our March Madness hub, where you’ll find all our latest content to get you primed.
Villanova -6.5 alt spread (+275)
Arkansas -5.5 alt spread (+275)
Parlay odds: +1306
Let’s break down each leg one by one:
Villanova -6.5 alt spread (+275) over Houston
If the Wildcats win this game, there is a good chance they win it big. Which is why we have them for the first leg of this Elite 8 mega parlay. Houston’s defensive style of play is inherently high variance. The Cougars have been getting it done so far in the tournament, but this Wildcats offense is clicking. Villanova got whatever they wanted in the first two rounds, and they’re one of the most efficient scoring units in the country.
Now is the time to sell high on the Cougars following their upset win over Arizona. I think that win had a little more to do with Arizona being overrated than anything else. The knee injury to Collin Gillespie concerns me a bit, but I think he’s going to play. And Houston just won’t have the offense to keep up. The Cougars are also a terrible free-throw shooting team, which could come back to haunt them here in a high pressure environment.
Check out all our March Madness Elite 8 previews and picks for Saturday
Arkansas -5.5 alt spread (+275) over Duke
We also have Arkansas on an alt spread to wrap up this mega parlay. Continue to underestimate this Razorbacks team at your own peril. They just beat Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and still can’t get much respect. Most impressively, they knocked off the 1-seed Bulldogs despite lead scorer JD Notae having an off night. Notae shot just 9/29 from the floor, and they still managed to beat the national title favorites as a big underdog. Assuming Notae goes back to his usual self here, they could win this one going away.
And I just haven’t been as blown away by Duke as everyone else appears to be. The Blue Devils haven’t exactly looked dominant in their run so far, and I still have major concerns about their defense. Duke still is a very young team, and the speed of Arkansas could rattle them. None of the three teams that Coach K’s squad have faced so far have played at a remotely fast pace, and the Razorbacks like to get out and run.
Pickswise is the home of free College Basketball Picks and College Basketball Predictions. With top College Basketball picks available daily, including our College Basketball Best Bets.
